BOOK XI // CHAPTER 00

The Red Goddess

Kali, Tara, and the fierce Shakti
Red Goddess Kali
Red Goddess Kali

The Color of Will

While Shiva is white (pure consciousness/static), Shakti is Red (active energy/kinetic).

In the Tantric tradition, especially in Bengal and Assam (Kamakhya), Cannabis is not just for the ascetic Shiva; it is for the Red Goddess (Rakta Kali or Tara).

Here, the plant is used not to cool down (detach), but to heat up (engage).

It is used to amplify Iccha Shakti (The Will).

When the Tantric consumes Vijaya before a ritual, they are invoking the Goddess to possess their nervous system and perform the impossible.

The fierce Deities

The plant is sacred to the Ugra Devatas (Fierce Deities):

  • Kali: The devourer of time. The plant helps the devotee step out of linear time.
  • Bhairavi: The terror. The plant induces the shaking/trembling that precedes a breakthrough.
  • Tara: The savior. The plant acts as the raft across the ocean of Samsara.

The Ritual: The Midnight Offering

The worship is often performed at midnight (Nishita).

The Goddess is offered red flowers (Hibiscus), red sandalwood (Rakta Chandan), and the "Green Leaf" soaked in blood (symbolically, wine or saffron water).

The intent is radically different from the morning meditation.

  • Morning Intent: "Let me be peaceful."
  • Midnight Intent: "Let me be powerful. Let me consume my obstacles."
The Warning: Invoking the Red Goddess with Cannabis is dangerous. If you amplify your "Will" but your "Heart" is impure, you become a demon (Asura). Power without compassion is the definition of evil in Tantra.
Clinical Context: Sympathetic Overdrive

Biologically, "Red Tantra" practices utilize the Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight) in a controlled manner. Cannabis typically increases heart rate (sympathetic arousal). Combined with rapid breathing and vigorous ritual, this creates a "High Arousal Trance" distinct from the "Low Arousal" Zen state. It is high-octane neurochemistry.